IS THE SORD MIGHTIER THAN THE PEN? JOHNNY BLANCHARD TAKES A LOOK AT THE M5 COMPUTER TO FIND OUT.
Whilst you may not know the Sord M5 by name, you might recognise its shape. This is because, unlike many of the machines I cover, the M5 actually did make it out of Japan.
In fact, its history under other names is almost more interesting than the machine itself. It appeared in Europe as the Sord M5 and the
CGL M5, this version rebadged by Computer Games Limited and released in the UK and the former Czechoslovakia. Oddly, it also ended up being re-released in Japan, badged as the Takara Game M5. South Korea also had multiple versions available released by such companies as LG, Samsung and Koryo Systems. The FC-150, SPC-500 and TommyCom were clones of the M5 but had different shaped cartridge slots, meaning cartridges from the other M5 models wouldn't work in them.
I said the history was almost as interesting as the machine itself, so we should, in fact, describe the system (plus it's my job). But first, we should talk a little about the company that created it.
Sord Computer Corporation is a Japanese electronics company that started in 1970 and made computers and computer software up to 1985 when purchased by Toshiba. In 2018 the company was sold off by Toshiba and is still around, working in the embedded computer systems market.
Sord's purpose was laid down from the very beginning by its founder, Takayoshi Shiina; Sord being a contraction of the words SOftware and haRDware. Whilst initially making software for other computers, they quickly started making their own systems, including some interesting systems like the M68, a computer I hope to cover in the future if I can ever fix mine.
The M5 was released in 1982. It's based on a Zilog Z80 processor and included a TMS9918 video chip and an SN76489 sound chip. It had 20K of onboard memory, which is low to
start with but even worse when you consider that 16K of that is used for screen memory.
The keyboard has rubber keys much like the Spectrum; however, because the keys are more solid, it has a nicer feel and is more responsive than Sinclair's machine. The specs for the M5 are close to a lot of micros of the age, especially in Japan. Because of this, Sord's M5 ended up being very similar to the eventual MSX 1 specification.
The M5 originally sold for 49,800 yen in Japan and £190 in the United Kingdom when released by CGL in 1983. This price included the BASIC-I cartridge, which was required to load games from tape. In fact, the M5 won't even turn on without a cartridge in the slot. There are several game cartridges available featuring software from such companies as Konami and Namco.
The Sord only had a minimal run, officially only two years, although some variants were produced for longer. Unfortunately for the M5 and many other smaller computers of the time, it was a victim of the emerging MSX standard, which had hoovered up the average specs of the various computers on the Japanese market and then ended up taking the market away from anything that wasn't compatible.
Because of this, the M5 can be a difficult machine to get hold of, especially at a reasonable price. You will have a better chance from Japan, but even there, the prices are starting to increase. The machine itself is very reliable, and there's a good chance of getting one in working condition. Be careful when buying though, make sure the auction includes one of the BASIC cartridges because they can be hard to get at a reasonable price separately.
The Sord M5 is a fascinating machine; it is largely unknown but still managed some global impact. In fact, I've often had blank stares at the mention of its name and recognition when people actually see it. It wasn't a powerful machine, even when it was released, but it has a beautiful design with its lift-up cartridge lip and colour flash on the plastic beneath that is striking. It also has the distinction of being one of the first machines to prioritise cartridges as its primary format, a hint towards the future of gaming.
Should you own one? If you're a collector or enthusiast, then I'd have to say yes. It may not be one of the revolutionary computers, but it is a wonderful addition to any collection. For someone just interested in retro computers, it's a harder sell. Whilst it has proven reliable, the prices are getting high, and the difficulty of getting cartridges make it tricky to recommend. Of course, once you have a BASIC cartridge, then the world of tape games opens up for you. Whilst the physical tapes aren't any easier to get, there are at least more options out there.
See more of Johnny’s incredible collection of retro systems at
www.youtube.com/c/ReEnthused